


Turkey and Some Mistletoe

by sassy_dae



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, First Kiss, First Meetings, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Mistletoe, Non-Linear Narrative, taeil and Hyuck hit it off
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:28:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28255419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassy_dae/pseuds/sassy_dae
Summary: After a chance meeting and a kiss under a mistletoe at a party, all Taeil has to go by is a poorly-scribbled phone number and half a name.  A year later, Taeil ventures to the same Christmas party in the hopes of finding 'Hyuck'.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Moon Taeil
Comments: 16
Kudos: 107





	Turkey and Some Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> a little something for Christmas!

❄️🎄❄

_It’s snowing, the flurries lightly dusting their hair. Taeil looks up into his eyes—how they shine and sparkle in the moonlight, like lights on a Christmas tree. He smiles at Taeil and leans down, warm hand on his rosy cheeks. “Merry Christmas, Rudolph-Taeil”. Under the mistletoe, their lips meet, and Taeil thinks this might be the best Christmas yet._

❄️🎄❄

Taeil sighs, lying on the couch under a layer of blankets, a half empty mug of hot chocolate slowly cools on the coffee table. He examines the overly crumpled napkin again. He squints his eyes, trying for the 100th time to discern the last three digits of a poorly scribbled phone number. 

“555-632-2…3…4…6? Have I tried 6 yet?” He mumbles to himself, slowly typing in the numbers before pushing “call”. His heart races as he puts the phone up to his ear, hoping this time it’s the right one. 

“ _We’re sorry, but number you have dialed is not in service—_ ”

“Fail!” He exhales, hanging up the phone and tossing it onto the coffee table. 

“Still no luck?” Taeyong asks from his end of the couch, snuggled deeply in his own pile of blankets. 

“Why does this kind of shit only happen to me? Does the universe hate me?” Taeil sighs, pulling the top blanket over his head and burying himself deep into the couch. “It’s been almost a year, Taeyong, and I’m no closer to finding him.”

“ _Or_ you could be just one more digit away from figuring out that phone number,” Taeyong offers, poking Taeil’s cold feet that have somehow found their way to his side of the couch.

“You know how many combinations there are?”

“One thousand,” Taeyong mutters to himself, having heard Taeil’s lament countless times. 

“ _One thousand_!” Taeil exclaims one hand poking out from the blankets, fingering wagging in the air to emphasize his point. “Three digits, each one with 10 different possible combinations makes it _one thousand_ possible phone numbers _._ And I’ve only tried a few hundred! I don’t know if I can keep this up anymore.” He snakes his arm back into the safety of the blankets, curling into a ball. “Besides, it’s been a year. He’s probably forgotten about me and moved on by now.”

“Have faith, Taeil. If your meeting was as magical as you remember it to be, I’m sure he’s still out there thinking about you,” Taeyong pouts, patting Taeil’s cold feet soothingly. Even as he says the words, Taeyong doesn't really believe them himself. But seeing Taeil so dejected brings out the maternal side of him. Perhaps giving him false hope isn’t the best move, but he’d rather offer Taeil optimistic cliches than burst his bubble. Face slapping realism is Ten’s job anyway.

Taeyong continues to scroll through his phone when it vibrates in his hand, a text from his boyfriend lighting up the screen. Taeyong sits up alert, eyes big and a smile spreading across his face. Maybe he won’t have to rely on platitudes anymore.

“Taeil. Taeil, Taeil, Taeil~!” Taeyong sings, throwing the blanket off of Taeil’s face, and lying on top of him. “Will you give me a kiss if I give you good news?”

“Depends on the news, and depends on how good it is,” Taeil mumbles, frowning up at Taeyong’s too close face. 

“Ten just texted me,” Taeyong bites his lip to hide his smile. “And guess what? The same guy from last year is throwing another Christmas party tonight.”

Taeil sits up, gripping Taeyong’s face in his hands. “The same roommate-cousin-boyfriend person?”

“The exact same,” Taeyong smiles. “Which means…”

“Which means Hyuck might be there!” Taeil squishes Taeyong’s face. Taeyong nods, and Taeil breaks out in a wide smile. “LETSGETITTTTT!” Taeil exclaims before planting a big, wet kiss on Taeyong’s cheek. Taeyong leans back into his blanket nest, smiling triumphantly as Taeil excitedly leaps from the couch and paces around the apartment. Taeyong texts Ten back, confirming their attendance. He can only hope the mysterious ‘Hyuck’ shows up too, so that Taeil can finally regain some sort of sanity and restore his faith in the universe.

❄️🎄❄

_“Did you take that turkey from the fridge?”_

_Taeil turns around sharply, giant turkey leg stuffed into his mouth. He finds a very pretty man cheekily smirking at him, eyes twinkling with delight as he watches Taeil tear meat off the leg with his teeth. He chews hurriedly, blushing at the way the man’s eyes travel down to his chipmunk cheeks._

_“Sorry,” Taeil mumbles over a mouthful of turkey. “I’m just starving and the guy in the kitchen said I could take it—”_

_“Don’t apologize, it’s not my turkey so I don’t really care,” the man laughs brightly. “Honestly, I’m impressed that you had the balls to take someone else’s food from their refrigerator, at a party no less. Though I doubt anyone will notice. Everyone’s pretty busy getting all ‘festive’.”_

_“You noticed,” Taeil points out the obvious, swallowing and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand._

_“I did, didn’t ?” he smiles, sitting down next to Taeil on the back porch steps. “Honestly? I needed an excuse to get out of an awkward situation, and when I spotted you lurking in the kitchen, I was intrigued. So I followed you.”_

_“Awkward situation?”_

_“Ran into an ex with his new boyfriend and was trapped listening to stories of their latest ‘romantic getaway’,” the man explains, scowling. “Not exactly the best way to spend a party.”_

_“I don’t know, I think you just described some masochist’s wet dream,” Taeil jokes, and the man chuckles, shaking his head and sighing to himself. Taeil looks at him curiously, thinking he looks a little lonely. Taeil understands more than anyone the effects of holiday blues. He was dragged to this party by Taeyong because he always locks himself away, waiting for the Christmas chaos and New Year hustle to disappear. And though he willingly came to this party, Taeil still finds himself alone, sitting on the back porch of a stranger’s house eating their leftover turkey._

_Well, he_ was _alone._

_“I’m Taeil, by the way,” he introduces himself._

_“Hyuck,” the man replies, shaking his free hand._

_“Do you want some?” Taeil offers, turkey leg outstretched as a peace-offering._

_“I thought you’d never ask,” Hyuck smiles, gently placing his hand on Taeil’s wrist to steady the turkey leg as he takes a big bite. His fingers linger as he smiles at Taeil, cheeks stuffed and pink from the cold. “So, why_ are _you out here eating turkey all alone?”_

_“I’m not big into parties,” Taeil shrugs, taking another bite before offering it again to Hyuck. “I also only know about two people in there and they are currently making out on the couch.”_

_“Oh, you know_ those _people. At least they are having fun,” Hyuck chuckles, chewing on one side of his cheek. He looks a bit like a chipmunk, and it makes Taeil smile. “By the way, I like your antlers,” Hyuck mumbles before swallowing._

 _“Oh, these?” Taeil reaches up and touches his headband. “My friend gave them to me. Said I needed to look more ‘festive'._ _I didn’t have an ugly sweater to wear, so I guess this was supposed to compensate.”_

_“I’m not big on the ugly sweaters myself,” Hyuck replies, leaning back on his hands as he tilts his head to look at Taeil. “You look cute, though. Like a small Rudolph.”_

_“Is my nose red?” Taeil scrunches his face, trying to look at his nose._

_“A bit,” Hyuck laughs, reaching out to gently adjust Taeil’s headband. “Maybe if you drank more it’d turn red.”_

_“It’s better to eat your calories than drink them, I always say,” Taeil raises his eyebrows at Hyuck, wiggling the turkey leg before taking another big bite. Hyuck laughs, throwing his head back in delight. Taeil chews slowly, noticing Hyuck’s honey skin has a small sprinkling of moles on his cheeks and neck._

_“You are a man after my own heart,” Hyuck hangs his head, dramatically placing a hand over his chest. Looking back up at Taeil through his bangs, he smirks before whispering, “I like it.”_

_Taeil’s heart flutters._

❄️🎄❄

“Do you think he’ll be there?” Taeyong asks Ten as they lay on Taeil’s bed, watching Taeil scurry around his room in a manic frenzy of excitement and dread. 

“Who?”

“Taeil’s mystery man—the magical Christmas angel that appeared from the heavens to steal our Taeilie’s heart,” Taeyong waxes poetically. “Goes by the moniker _Hyuck_.”

“Right _him._ Maybe,” Ten shrugs without looking up from his phone, though somehow paying enough attention to veto Taeil’s fourth outfit. “Are we even sure he’s real? I didn’t see him with anyone at the party.”

“It’s because you guys were too busy dry humping in a corner to notice anyone else,” Taeil chimes in, to which Ten scoffs and Taeyong clears his throat, only slightly embarrassed by his drunk behavior.

“I saw him talking to someone outside,” Taeyong says confidently to Ten and ignoring Taeil’s remark. “Are you sure Sicheng or Yuta have never heard of him?”

“Nope. Neither have Jungwoo nor Yukhei.”

“And they are the…roommates?” Taeyong tentatively asks, still unsure of the entire connection between himself and the host of the Christmas party. It’s like a game of seven-degrees of separation, but more like a spiderweb. 

“No, they are dating,” Ten clarifies, but it’s still just as clear to Taeyong as it was seconds ago.

“Dating each other? Or dating the guy hosting the party?”

“ _Oh my God_ , Taeyong. How many times do I have to explain this?” Ten sighs, putting down his phone and turning to his boyfriend. Talented, handsome, and _sweet—_ but not always the quickest. He sits up, holding out his hands as he draws an imaginary diagram. “Chenle is throwing the party. He’s dating Renjun who is friends with Kunhang. Kunhang is roommates with Yukhei, who is dating Jungwoo. Jungwoo is friends with Yuta, who is dating Sicheng, my cousin.”

“I knew the last two bits,” Taeyong smiles proudly, knowing he’ll never remember the connections past Yuta. Ten just smiles at him, shaking his head and kissing Taeyong on the cheek; _bless his heart_.

“Point is, I asked around and no one seems to know a ‘Hyuck’.”

“But it was a pretty big party. You didn’t know everyone who was there. I doubt even Chenle knew everyone.”

“I think it would help if we knew more about this mysterious Hyuck besides what Taeil told us,” Ten turns to look at Taeil, smirking as Taeil turns to look at himself in the mirror with his latest outfit choice. “‘Tastes like gingerbread cookies, smells like peppermint, smiles like the sun and laughs like jingle bells are ringing’ is not exactly helpful.”

“I can hear you, you know,” Taeil calls back to them, pulling off a sweater and searching for another one. 

“Then why didn’t you get his full name?” Ten yells back. “You know many names have ‘Hyuck’ in them? Jaehyuck, Kimhyuck, Ohhyuck—”

“Minhyuck,” Taeyong chimes in.

“Joonhyuck,” Ten continues.

“Donghyuck.”

“Byunhyuck.”

“Anhyuck.”

“Kwonhyuck.”

“Hyuckshin."

“I get it! I’m an idiot for getting half a name and a useless phone number. You don’t need to remind me,” Taeil sighs, frustratingly tugging on a sweater. 

“We don’t think you’re an idiot,” Taeyong says reassuringly. “You were caught up in the moment, no one blames you for that.”

“Except, perhaps, _Hyuck,_ ” Ten grins, earning him a pillow to the face. 

“Alright, I think this is the one,” Taeil says, turning around slowly in a circle for his two fashionista friends’ approval. Ten gives him a thumbs up while Taeyong claps softly. It’s the basic Taeil uniform—simple, casual, and so full of boyfriend material it makes Taeyong’s heart ache. As Taeil carefully places his reindeer headband on his head, the same one Taeyong had forced on him the year before, Taeyong sighs.

"I hope he shows up. I’m not sure I can handle another year of Taeil moping around about lost love and opportunities.”

“We can always call Youngho if it doesn’t work out. You know he’s got a permanent hard-on for Taeil,” Ten deadpans, not nearly as concerned about Taeil’s love life as his boyfriend. Taeyong smacks him with a pillow again, giving him a look as Taeil turns to them—ready to meet his fate. 

❄️🎄❄

_“Would you rather fight off 100 duck-sized horses, or fight one horse-sized duck?”_

_“Do I get a weapon of choice? Or is it a battle of fisticuffs?” Taeil asks, picking up a gingerbread cookie from a tin they found in the pantry._

_“Only melee weapons, no firearms,” Hyuck decides after a few seconds, unceremoniously biting off the head of a gingerbread-man._

_“Hm,” Taeil nibbles on his cookie, scrunching his forehead in concentration as he contemplates his answer. They’ve been at it for the better part of an hour, asking increasingly ridiculous questions and in a game of ‘would you rather’. It’s an odd way to get to know someone—knowing what choices they’d make and why is strangely insightful. But most of all, it’s_ fun. _Taeil hasn’t laughed this hard in a long time, nor enjoyed someone’s company quite so effortlessly in…well, forever. There’s Taeyong, of course, but they’ve known each other since they were in diapers, so he doesn’t count._

 _Hyuck is engaging, friendly, warm and bubbly. But also witty and sharp, and at times deeply introspective. Not to mention_ pretty _, and Taeil doesn’t mind if he could just stay out here the rest of the night talking to Hyuck and watching him laugh._

_“One horse-sized duck, if I can use a sword or spear of some kind.”_

_“But ducks have beaks—imagine the size of said beak on a duck the size of a horse!” Hyuck says, shoving the rest of the decapitated gingerbread-man into his mouth._

_“But imagine 100 tiny little hooves attacking you,” Taeil counters. “You could easily be overwhelmed and mauled by a swarm of horses. With a giant duck, you only have to worry about one. No way for it to sneak up on you or get you from behind.”_

_“But it’s the size of a_ horse!” _Hyuck guffaws almost in disbelief. “At least the horses are tiny. You should be able to win a fight against them when you’re the bigger predator.”_

 _“You either have never encountered a large group of animals or have a_ very _high confidence in your fighting abilities,” Taeil laughs._

_“I'm pretty sure I can beat up some duck-sized horses,” Hyuck sniffs, pouting proudly as he sits taller._

_“I think I saw a lake nearby on my way here. Should I go round up some ducks and test your theory? They may not be horses, but they’ll be the right size.” Taeil stands up, feigning to walk down the road and capture some ducks._

_“No, no, no! It’s fine!” Hyuck laughs, grabbing Taeil by the arms and pulling him back down. “Let’s agree to disagree,” Hyuck says through giggles, his cheeks glowing in the cold winter night. Taeil smiles back, catching Hyuck’s eye for a second before clearing his throat and looking down at feet. A pleasant silence falls over them, the only sound interrupting their seemingly peaceful night coming from the party inside. He looks back up to find Hyuck giving him a small, closed lipped smile, head tilted as he waits. Taeil doesn’t look away, thinking he sees stars in Hyuck’s eyes. With a sigh, he leans back and taps his fingers on the porch deck._

_“Let’s see….if every time you turned on the radio and only one song played, would you rather it be Mariah Carey’s_ All I Want for Christmas is You or _Wham!’s_ Last Christmas _?”_

_“Like, all year round or just during the holidays?” Hyuck scrunches his brow._

_“All year round.”_

_“That is some evil villain stuff, Taeil,” Hyuck shakes his head in disapproval, but smiles regardless. “I think…._ Last Christmas.”

“ _George Michael over Mariah Carey, interesting,” Taeil purses his lips in wonder._

 _“No disrespect to_ the _Ms. Mariah Carey and her blockbuster song. It’s great for singing along and belting out in the car, but if I had to listen to it all year round, I’d rather have something a bit more…subtle? Subdued?” Hyuck shrugs. “_ Last Christmas _is different. It’s not about gifts or Santa or baby Jesus and angels. It’s a love song.”_

 _“So is_ All I Want for Christmas is You, _” Taeil points out, though he doesn’t disagree. He just likes playing devil’s advocate and seeing where Hyuck goes with his reasoning._

 _“True, but it’s much more festive._ Last Christmas _doesn’t really dwell on the holiday too much_. _It’s more about heartbreak and regret. It’s wistful. Which I think is more appropriate if I have to listen to it all year round.”_

_“You mean you don’t want to be overly peppy and happy all the time?” Taeil gives Hyuck an exaggerated smile, hands on his face in excitement. Hyuck smiles, shaking his head._

_“Nothing wrong with wanting to be happy, but neither is sitting in your own sadness sometimes. And that includes during the holidays,” Hyuck gives Taeil a crooked smile. It doesn’t quite reach his eyes, and Taeil wonders if he’s speaking from experience._

_“Actually, I agree,” Taeil says, watching Hyuck carefully. “I think the holidays can be a bit sad and lonely. Something about it being cold and dark, and all the forced cheer, it can make me feel depressed at times.”_

_“You don’t like the holidays?” Hyuck asks, eyebrow quirked._

_“Not particularly.” Taeil looks down at his hands in his lap, shrugging. “There’s all this pressure to socialize and spend time with loved ones. But the truth is I don’t have that many people in my life to celebrate with.”_

_“No family or friends?” Hyuck asks quietly, eyes softening as he leans closer to Taeil._

_“I have friends—my best friend especially, but he has his big family and his boyfriend. So it’s usually just my mom and I. I lost my dad and sister when I was pretty young, and my grandparents are all gone too. The holidays always remind me of them, of what I lost. And when I see others happy, I feel like there must be something wrong with me. Like I’m broken in some way. So I’d rather just be alone than be reminded of what I’m missing out on.”_

_Taeil picks at a thread on his sweater, suddenly embarrassed that he revealed something so deep and personal with a practical stranger. He knows he’s usually a kill-joy during the holidays, which is why he’d rather stay home and binge watch movies on his laptop instead of attending endless festive parties. And he knows he’s definitely ruined the fun they’d been having now._

_“Sorry, that was kind of depressing, wasn’t?” he laughs awkwardly, pulling down the sleeves of his sweater from under his jacket. “This is why my friends dragged me to this party, so that I can loosen up and have fun. And I can’t even do that right.”_

_“I think you’re doing alright. I’m having fun with you.” Hyuck bumps shoulders with Taeil, giving him a small smile. “Plus, I kind of get it. The holidays bum me out too. I always seem to get dumped around Christmas. Meeting family and friends, giving each other gifts. It’s too_ personal, _feels too much like_ commitment. _So they all leave and I’m left alone.” Hyuck scoffs, squinting his eyes as he examines the moon. “The ex I ran into? He dumped me last Christmas. So seeing him here with his new boyfriend just—ugh!” Hyuck pretends to choke the air, letting out a groan of frustration. He drops his hands to his lap, playing with a ring on his finger. "Maybe that’s the real reason I like_ Like Christmas. _It’s the only song to really capture my personal Christmas experiences.”_

_Taeil turns to look at Hyuck, eyes wide. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, feeling a tug in his chest—an empathy and sympathy for Hyuck’s melancholy. Though their loneliness stem for different ends of the loss spectrum, it’s still painful. The hollowness and scars left behind seem to throb with the cold, becoming more pronounced in the forced cheeriness of the season._

_“Me too,” Hyuck turns towards Taeil, smiling softly. Taeil searches his face and not only finds understanding, but compassion. The tugging on his heart turns into a strong pull, and Taeil wants to lean into it. Almost as if reading his mind, Hyuck slowly reaches out and places a gentle hand on Taeil’s arm. “Nothing wrong with being Grinches, right?” He offers Taeil the last gingerbread man, which Taeil takes graciously. Instead of pulling his hand back, Hyuck moves the now empty cookie tin and slides to sit right next to Taeil, resting his head on his shoulder. He carefully takes Taeil’s hand and intertwines their fingers, squeezing tightly as if to say ‘Don’t worry, we’ve got each other’_. _Taeil’s heart races as he gives Hyuck a side glance. He can more easily see all the moles on Hyuck’s face, and smells the faint minty freshness of Hyuck’s hair._

_They sit in content stillness, Hyuck playing with their joined fingers as Taeil munches on his cookie. It feels far too intimate a moment to have with someone he just met a few hours ago, but Taeil doesn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable. It’s soothing and Taeil doesn’t think he’d mind if they just sat like this for the rest of the night. But loud laughter from the party breaks their serenity, and Hyuck lifts his head from Taeil’s shoulder. Taeil misses the weight, but is comforted by the fact that Hyuck is still connected to him through their interlaced fingers._

_“Would you rather be a superhero or a wizard?” Hyuck asks, turning his head toward Taeil._

_“What kind of wizard?” Taeil asks, not missing a beat. He returns Hyuck’s look, and they share a smile._

_“More Gandalf, less Dumbledore.”_

❄️🎄❄

Taeil looks around the somewhat familiar house—it’s large, even for a home in this particular well-to-do neighborhood. Chenle is clearly loaded, Taeil thinks as he passes by the large foyer and into the living room behind Ten and Taeyong. They are greeted by Sicheng and Yuta, the only two other people Taeil knows at the party. As they slide into easy banter, Taeil’s eyes begin to wander around hoping to find Hyuck in the crowd of strangers.

After the obligatory one drink with his friends, Taeil makes the rounds of the party, checking every room in search of Hyuck. But he comes up empty. And as the party gets more crowded with unfamiliar faces, Taeil begins to lose hope. He stands awkwardly at the base of the stares, half listening to the conversations around him when he hears a familiar laugh echo through the hallway. He quickly turns to look, his heart pounding in his chest as he concentrates on the sounds of the party, trying to isolate the one voice he’s been searching for. _There it is again—_ the sweet rumbling laughter he’s heard in his dreams multiple times the past year. Without excusing himself Taeil pushes past the crowd towards the living room, his face heating up with anticipation as he turns the corner—

“Taeil! Come be my beer-pong partner!” Taeyong grabs Taeil by the arm, stopping him in his tracks. 

“Maybe some other time, I need to—” Taeil starts, pushing Taeyong off his arm as he turns back to continue on his path. 

“Come on, _please_? I need a teammate. You’re such an ace and you know that Ten doesn’t like playing. I’ll even drink all the beer if you want,” Taeyong pouts, gripping Taeil’s arm tightly and dragging him away from the living room. Taeil sighs, hating how forceful Taeyong is when he wants to be. How is someone who refuses to work out so strong?

“Ok, but can you give me a minute? I think I found him,” Taeil says, pointing back towards the living room.

“Found who—Oh! O _h!”_ Taeyong exclaims, jumping up and down in excitement for his friend. “Why didn’t you say that before?! Go, go, _go!”_ Taeyong forcibly turns Taeil around and practically launches him into an overly crowded couch with a push. Taeil catches himself and throws Taeyong a look. With an apologetic grin and encouraging thumbs up, Taeyong goes in search of a new beer pong partner. 

Taeil dusts himself off and searches the living room, training his ears to listen for the familiar warm laugh of his memories. But it’s gone, and he is left feeling emptier than before. He decides to begin his search again, looking carefully in each room a few more times but again coming up empty. “Fucking hell,” he mutters to himself as he dejectedly wanders through the party. 

Party goers around him laugh and talk loudly, dance to cheesy holiday music or play drinking games with Christmas themes. It’s festive and loud, and not at all a reflection of how hollow Taeil feels. Another Christmas alone, and this time with the weight of his own personal failure hanging over him. With a heavy sigh, Taeil decides to raid the kitchen and sit outside like he did the previous year. Perhaps he can find some more turkey, or even better—a tin of gingerbread-men.

❄️🎄❄

_“No way, you didn’t!” Taeil laughs breathlessly as Hyuck mimes out exactly how he pelted his father in the head with a slingshot._

_“I did, I swear to God! I was convinced I had just killed Santa and that I was going to get arrested for it,” Hyuck pouts, placing his hands on his hips as he Taeil doubles over in laughter, his body shaking uncontrollably from his silent cackles. “Don’t laugh! I was traumatized! In one night I thought I murdered Santa, realized it was my dad and thought he was Santa, then realized that Santa wasn’t real and thought I murdered my own dad!”_

_“I’m sorry, it’s just….hahahaha….it’s such a ridiculous story!” Taeil giggles, wiping away a tear that has slipped past. Hyuck guffaws before sitting back down next to Taeil, smiling sweetly at him. As Taeil’s laughter subsides, he looks up, noting how bright the moon shines in Hyuck’s eyes._

_“How did you find out Santa wasn’t real?” Hyuck asks, leaning back on his hands as he gives Taeil an encouraging smile._

_“It’s nothing that exciting. I just noticed that my mom’s handwriting matched Santa’s and asked her,” Taeil shrugs. “I got in pretty big trouble at school for telling the other kids Santa wasn’t real. The teachers called my mom in and everything.”_

_“How old were you?”_

_“Five.”_

_“You were_ five?!” _Hyuck looks at Taeil, fist placed over his open mouth in wonder. “You’re one of those smart guys, huh? Were you one of those kids that never studied but still aced every test?”_

_“I won’t deny that I probably could have tried a little more,” Taeil smirks. “My mom called me ‘precocious’.”_

_“I bet,” Hyuck whispers, his eyes softening as he looks at Taeil. “You seem really special.”_

_Taeil blinks at Hyuck, his ears burning from the compliment. He smiles awkwardly, adjusting his reindeer antlers as he looks away. Hyuck’s stare seems to bore into him, burning a hole through his sweater and straight to his thumping heart. Fidgeting with his hands, Taeil braves a look over. Hyuck’s lips twitch, fighting back a smile before giving in and letting it light up his entire face._

_“Would it be weird to give you my number?” Hyuck suddenly asks. Taeil blinks once, twice._

_“Your number?”_

_“Yeah, my phone number. I don’t know about you, but this is the best time I’ve had in a long time. And I’d like to see you again, if that’s ok.”_

_The flush seems to spread from Taeil’s ears to his cheeks. He clears his throat and nods. “Not weird at all. I’d like that.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone, but can’t seem to turn it on._

_“Shit, I think I drained the battery earlier playing on it.”_

_“What were you playing?”_

_“KartRider.”_

_Hyuck lets out a loud bark of laughter, his eyes scrunching up in joy as he shakes his head. “Can you be anymore_ perfect? _” Hyuck says looking back at him, eyes shining with mischief. “I play that game all the time; daily actually. I’ll have to challenge you sometime.”_

_“Just be ready to lose,” Taeil smirks, his heart racing in his chest. Another few tense moments pass before Taeil clears his throat, the butterflies in his stomach wrecking havoc. “Do you have your phone? I can give you my number.”_

_Hyuck’s face falls for a second as he shakes his head. “This is going to be really embarrassing, but I actually dropped my phone in the toilet earlier and it won’t turn on.” He pulls out the phone from his pocket, showing it Taeil. Taeil laughs, taking the phone and tapping it._

_“Can confirm, this phone is no more.”_

_“Could you say it’s ceased to be? It has expired and gone to meet its maker?” Hyuck smirks, wiggling his eyebrows._

_“Bereft of life, it rests in peace,” Taeil smiles back, picking up what Hyuck is putting down._

_“It’s metabolic processes are now history.”_

_“It’s kicked the bucket, it’s shuffled of it’s mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin choir invisible.”_

_“This is an ex-phone!!” Hyuck smiles widely, “I somehow knew you’d be a Monty Python fan.”_

_“Only the coolest people can appreciate their witty humor,” Taeil smirks._

_“Must explain why I’m so drawn to you,” Hyuck leans towards Taeil, staring at him. “Smart, cute, and witty. Just my type.” He’s so close that Taeil can see his reflection in Hyuck’s eyes. He swallows, frozen as he finds himself getting lost in Hyuck’s gaze. It draws him in, and as Hyuck’s eyes start drifting closed, Taeil holds his breath._

_“TAEIL! TAAAAAEILLLL” Taeyong yells from inside, and Taeil and Hyuck jump back in surprise._

_“I’m out here!” Taeil yells back, sighing to himself._

_Taeyong sticks his head out the porch door and looks around. “Taeil! Yuta just informed me that the last bus heading towards our apartment leaves in 7 minutes. We gotta hustle!”_

_“Alright! Just give me a minute,” Taeil waves Taeyong back inside as he turns to Hyuck. “Guess I gotta go.”_

_“Too bad, I was having such a great time with you,” Hyuck pouts, looking disappointed. “Wait, before you go—here.” Picking up a stray napkin and pulling out a pen from his pocket, he scribbles on it quickly before handing it over. “My number.”_

_“Thanks,” Taeil mumbles, taking the offered napkin gingerly, his hand trembling excitedly as he pockets it, barely giving it a glance._

_“I look forward to your call,” Hyuck winks at him, and Taeil thinks his nose is most definitely red by now. Hyuck slowly stands and extends his out hand to Taeil. “You know, I almost didn’t come tonight, but I’m glad I did.”_

_“Me too.”_

_Taeil takes Hyuck’s outstretched hand. Gripping it tightly, Hyuck pulls him up slowly, as if trying to stretch out the seconds and minutes left to their time together. And when he’s finally standing, Hyuck doesn’t let go; he simply pulls Taeil closer. Standing at their full height, Taeil notices that Hyuck is only a bit taller than him. He can look straight into Hyuck’s big, brown eyes without staining his neck, his eyes easily traveling down to his lips. With a shy smile, Taeil rocks back on his heels._

_“It was really nice meeting you, Hyuck. I hope you have a Merry Christmas,” Taeil mutters. He notices it’s started to snow and spots a few stray flurries in Hyuck’s hair. He carefully reaches out and flicks them, letting his fingers linger for a moment. Hyuck looks back down at him, eyes sparkling as he lifts his eyebrows and indicates up to the porch ceiling. Taeil’s eyes drift upwards, and for the first time sees a sprig of mistletoe dangling over their heads. Taeil looks back at Hyuck—a bit scared and excited. Hyuck smiles brightly and leans down, warm hand on Taeil’s flushed cheeks._

_“Merry Christmas, Rudolph-Taeil,” he whispers before kissing him lightly on the lips. He tastes like gingerbread and smells like candy canes. But his eyes, they shine like Christmas lights._

❄️🎄❄

Armed with a plate of dinner rolls, Taeil pushes the porch door open and takes a deep breath, letting the December air sting his lungs. He takes two steps before someone speaks up, surprising him. 

“Whatcha got there?”

“ _Jesus,_ you scared me,” Taeil breathes out, clutching the plate to his chest and turning towards his unexpected companion. He opens his mouth in shock as Hyuck hops down from the porch railing, taking careful steps towards Taeil.

“Hi,” Hyuck smiles shyly and waves cutely. Taeil’s heart about bursts from his chest at the sight. Hyuck looks almost exactly as he remembers, if not better. His glowing honey skin, long legs, bright smile, wide brown eyes and fluffy hair— _perfect_ , just as in Taeil’s memory.

“Hi,” Taeil breathes out, rooted in his spot. It almost seems unbelievable to him. After spending hours roaming through the party, enduring boring conversations and obnoxious Christmas music, he finds Hyuck in the same place they met a year ago. It doesn’t feel like serendipity at all, but fate.

“Somehow I knew I’d find you out here with a plate of food eventually,” Hyuck laughs, eyeing the dinner rolls. “Or at least, I hoped I would. I only came to this party to find you.”

“Me too,” Taeil finally manages to say, the shock of actually finding Hyuck starting to wear off. He clears his throat and takes a tentative step towards him. “That’s really the only reason I’m here—to find you.”

“You could have just called me. Would have been easier than waiting an entire year and gambling on seeing each other at a stranger’s Christmas party, right?” Hyuck frowns, genuinely confused. He doesn’t sound accusatory, but disappointed. And somehow that makes Taeil feel worse. “Why _didn’t_ you call me? I waited a long time, but I never heard from you. And I just don’t understand. I thought….I thought we had something special. A connection.” Hyuck looks down at his feet, shuffling them awkwardly. “I even told you about how I always get dumped on Christmas.” Taeil feels his heart break a bit. 

“No, Hyuck, I—we _do_ have something special. I promise, I wanted to call you but I…wait a second,” Taeil says, taking more steps and closing the distance between them. He places his plate of dinner rolls on a nearby railing, freeing his hands so that he can root around in his pockets. He desperately searches for his precious crumpled napkin, the only thing he had to remember Hyuck by. “And I _did_ try to call you but your handwriting is kind of shit.” 

Taeil presents the napkin to Hyuck for inspection, wanting him to understand that Taeil didn’t ghost him. If anything, Taeil held onto the hope of finding Hyuck for an impossibly long time. Ten called it an obsession, but Taeil thought of it as initiative. 

Hyuck takes the napkin and unfurls it, forehead furrowed as he reads his own number. “Wow,” Hyuck mutters. “Yup. That’s completely illegible. Did I really write this shit?”

“It’s not the best, but I worked with what I had. I tried a few hundred combinations, hoping that I’d eventually find your number.” Taeil bites his lip as he watches Hyuck turn the napkin at different angles, trying to decipher his own phone number. “I literally went down a list of possible numbers, starting at 0-0-1. And, in case you are curious, with just those three digits there are one _thousand_ possible combinations,” Taeil sighs, having done the mental math countless times over sleepless nights. “Next up would have been 555-632-2347.”

Hyuck looks up sharply at Taeil, eyes wide. “That’s my number.”

“Wait—really?” Taeil leans back on his heels, shocked. He pulls out his phone, which this time is fully charged, and dials. He holds his breath until Hyuck’s phone vibrates in his hand. They stare at each other and laugh. Taeil practically falls onto his knees, cackling silently at the absurdity of the situation. What had Taeyong said that afternoon? _You could be one more digit away from figuring out that phone number._ It’s all too much for Taeil to handle, losing feeling in his legs as he plops down on the porch steps. 

“Did you really try hundreds of combinations?” Hyuck asks through the last of his giggles, sitting down next to Taeil.

“Three hundred and forty six, to be exact,” Taeil clarifies. 

“I can’t believe you did that, for _me_ ,” Hyuck mumbles in wonder, looking down at the napkin as a small blush spreads over his cheeks.

“I did it because I thought it would be worth it,” Taeil smiles. “Thankfully a good chunk of them went to voicemail, but I did encounter random crazies every so often. And one very persistent grandmother who was convinced I was her grandson. I talked to her for about an hour.”

“I’m so sorry,” Hyuck says with a grimace. “I guess this is my fault, isn’t it? If I hadn’t dropped my phone in the toilet or had chicken-shit handwriting—”

“It’s not your fault. My phone was dead too, remember? Too much KartRider,” Taeil shakes his head, placing a hand on Hyuck’s.

“Trust me, I remember everything about that night,” Hyuck says softly, turning his hand so that he can interlace his fingers with Taeil’s. “My friends don’t think you exist.”

“Mine are the same,” Taeil chuckles. “Some were pretty sure I made you up since all I had was part of a phone number and half a name.”

“At least you had _something_ , I just had your name. But no one seemed to know a ‘Taeil’. And I guess my description of you didn’t help,” Hyuck smiles to himself. 

“What you’d say?”

“A small, hungry man with a big personality. Chocolate brown hair with deliciously matching eyes. A smile that shines like moonlight on a dark night and a laugh that makes me feel like there is confetti exploding inside me,” Hyuck says with a sigh, turning to look at Taeil and flicking his headband. “And, of course, the most adorable Rudolph I’ve ever met.”

“What’s wrong with them? Those are perfectly accurate descriptions,” Taeil scoffs, squeezing Hyuck’s hand as they giggle together. “My friends told me to give up, but I just couldn’t. There was just something about you I couldn’t let go. That night, you and I…it was….” Taeil sighs, pouting as he thinks for the right words.

“Magical. It was _magical_ and _perfect_ ,” Hyuck says, lifting Taeil’s chin so that he can look him in the eye. Taeil sees that familiar sparkle that he whole-hearted believes is fairy dust. Hyuck caresses his cheek as Taeil leans into it, inhaling deeply. He wonders if Hyuck can feel just how loudly his heart is beating—not out of nerves but excitement. It might be the end of his journey to find Hyuck, but now the real adventure begins. And he can’t wait. 

“What’s your name?” Taeil breaths, as he leans towards Hyuck, eyeing his lips. “You know, so that I can save your number properly on my phone.”

“Donghyuck. Lee Donghyuck,” Hyuck mummers as he gazes at Taeil with half-lidded eyes. He lets go of Taeil’s hand to only rest it on his neck, running a thumb along Taeil’s jaw. Taeil shivers, letting out a shaky breath. Hyuck tilts his head, his nose brushing up against Taeil’s and his breath warm on his lips. Taeil thinks he might faint. “What about you?” Hyuck whispers, as his eyes search Taeil’s face and settle on his lips.

“Moon Taeil,” Taeil breaths out before leaning forward and kissing Hyuck. The kiss is soft and warm, chaste and tender, raw and emotional. There is nothing inherently sexy about it, but it is _perfect._ A shiver runs up Taeil’s spine, as if electricity has run from Donghyuck’s lips to his and into his chest. It takes his breath away. He presses forward, deepening the kiss as Donghyuck leans into it with enthusiasm. As his tongue runs along Hyuck’s bottom lip, he can taste peppermint. He inhales as Hyuck breathes out, stealing his air and smelling the fresh snow around them. The hands on his face feel hot, like a cup of hot cocoa on a cold day. 

After a year of searching and wondering if that night had all been a dream, Taeil feels somewhat dazed. He pulls back, catching his breath. He opens his eyes and watches the lights in Hyuck’s eyes dance in delight. 

“Merry Christmas, Moon Taeil,” Hyuck nuzzles Taeil’s nose and gently rubs his cheek. 

“Merry Christmas, Lee Donghyuck,” Taeil smiles, leaning in once more to capture Hyuck’s lips. 

❄️🎄❄

Taeil sighs, lying on the couch under a layer of blankets, two empty mugs of hot chocolate sit scattered on the coffee table. He scrolls through his phone, searching for a good restaurant for dinner that night. Sushi? Tacos? Hamburgers? He squints his eyes, trying to see on the map which places have the best reviews.

“What about Thai?” Hyuck asks, snuggled up between Taeil and the back couch cushions, head resting on Taeil’s chest. He taps his phone, showing it Taeil. “Or we can always just get meat.”

“We always get meat,” Taeil laughs, taking Hyuck’s phone to read it. “Shouldn’t we get something a bit more special for our anniversary?”

“But meat is so _delicious_ ,” Hyuck pokes Taeil in the tummy, giggling mischievously as Taeil squirms underneath him.

“You guys should come to the party. Go back to where it all began,” Taeyong says from his spot on the floor, head resting on Ten’s lap.

“Whose party?” Taeil asks, half paying attention to Taeyong as he fights off Hyuck’s tickles. 

“Chenle’s. The rich guy with the big house?”

“ _Right_ ,” Taeil says, suddenly remembering. “He’s dating Renjun who is friends with Kunhang, who is dating Yukhei—”

“No, no, no. Kunhang is _friends_ with Yukhei, not dating him. Yukhei is dating Jungwoo who is friends with Yuta who is dating Sicheng, Ten’s cousin,” Hyuck pouts up at Taeil. “ _Or_ , from my side of things—Chenle, who is dating Renjun who is friends with Jaemin who is dating Mark who is friends with Jeno who is my friend and former roommate,” Hyuck rattles off, drawing the connection-tree on Taeil’s chest and smiling cheekily at him. Taeil just shakes his head and goes back to reading off Hyuck’s phone. 

“ _See?_ He remembers; it’s not that complicated!” Ten looks down at Taeyong, poking him on the cheek. Taeyong sighs, sitting up and resting his elbows on the coffee table. 

“So what do you say? Party time?” Taeyong raises his eyebrows towards the cocooned couple.

“I think we should go,” Hyuck says, resting his chin on Taeil’s chest. “We can recreate how we met! You can wear your reindeer headband, we’ll raid Chenle’s kitchen for some turkey and cookies, sit outside and play ‘would you rather’, then make out under the mistletoe!”

“Perhaps all we need is… _a turkey and some mistletoe?_ ” Taeil sings, laughing at his own joke as Hyuck laughs along good-naturedly. Taeil kisses his scrunched up nose affectionately, genuinely happy. He remembers how much he used to hate the holidays before meeting Hyuck. It used to be a time he felt alone, only reminding him of what he lost. But now Taeil isn’t alone—he only feels love and joy with Hyuck beside him. And he’s looking forward to it.

**Author's Note:**

> Random notes:  
> \+ had originally written this for the December Drabble challenge but I could not keep it under 3k words ¯\\(°_o)/¯  
> \+ I just like the idea of hyuckil raiding people's kitchens and eating to til hearts' content  
> \+ taeil in those cute little antlers, I couldn't resist!
> 
> Come say hi/follow me on:  
> +tumblr [@shining-moon-taeil](https://shining-moon-taeil.tumblr.com)  
> +twitter @shining_taeil_


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